Textbooks Advice

Purchasing duplicate books to lighten backpack load

Oct 2008

We're trying to lighten the backpack load for my son, a 9th grader at BHS. Do you have any of these text books available to purchase inexpensively? 1. Bon Voyage! Glencoe French Level 2, Student Edition 2. Human Geography: People, Place and Culture 3. Focus on Advanced Algebra Please send me an email if you can help! Thank you. Kate

I don't have any of the books you are looking for, but you should be able to find most of them online. Use the ISBN number to search for sellers. We have found really inexpensive copies for our daughter and they are in better shape than most of the HS textbooks! Besides lightening the backpack load, there is the added benefit of always having the text available when your student needs it-- no more ''oops, I left it in my locker''. Senior BHS mom

From: Susan (2/99)

Regarding how to purchase copies of school textbooks for your child. The reason the schools don't always give kids textbooks (or other types of literature) to carry home is MONEY. Even though the schools have received a bit more money recently than in years past, it is earmarked for specific things like class size reduction, not necessarily for supplies or books. If you really want to buy a copy of the textbook that your child's class is using, I don't think it would be too difficult. Just explain your need to the teacher, and ask him/her if you can see the classroom texts in order to write down the names of the publishers. Most of the big publishing companies for educational materials (e.g. Houghton Mifflan, Scholastic, Creative Publications) have websites from which you could either order directly, request a catalogue, or get a phone number to actually talk to a representative. The teacher might even have a catalogue herself.

On the other hand, many of the stories in textbooks aren't necessarily the most interesting children's literature (some basal readers contain condensed versions of popular stories). For this reason some districts &/or teachers are choosing to purchase multiple copies of original stories rather than textbooks. You might want to get recommendations >from your child's teacher & then hit the bookstores or public libraries.